Research-practice partnerships play an important role in critically examining racial disparities in schools, as well as supporting the immediate adoption of practice improvement. This article outlines the results of a multisite case study with students, teachers, and administrators across two racially and ethnically diverse middle schools in the…

The purpose of the study was to better understand how international school middle school teachers can help cultivate a student's sense of belonging by creating a space for students to explore factors shaping their gender identity. The Participatory Action Research (PAR) study took place at an international school in South Korea that enrolls…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the experiences of middle school teachers in one Southern California middle school district when using technology, as part of the 1:1 Technology Initiative, to advance student learning and provide effective lesson delivery in the classroom. The literature review indicated a need for…

Teacher retention in high-poverty middle schools is a topic of concern. Teachers make the decision to leave the profession for a variety of reasons. Induction programs are put in place to for support with the goal of helping new teachers remain in the profession. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to identify critical components of…

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of middle school math teachers, as captured by survey ratings, of the frequency and quality of professional development programs. The study further examined the relationship of these perceptions to the degree to which professional development increased self-efficacy and social connections.…

There are strong motivations to implement integrated STEAM activities that engage with key ideas in mathematics. In integrating mathematics with other STEM disciplines, however, epistemic tensions can emerge. Rather than attempting to suppress, avoid, or adjudicate these tensions, we propose a strategy of "epistemic rekeying," in which…

Units Coordination and Covariational Reasoning are powerful frameworks for modeling students' mathematics in arithmetic reasoning and construction of relationships between changing quantities, respectively. This case study of an advanced stage 2, 8th-grade algebra student, Daniel, investigated connections between his units coordination and…

Middle school classrooms are increasingly more diverse, and students are often disconnected and disengaged from the learning. Research has demonstrated that arts integration instructional frameworks hold promise to engage students and to improve student outcomes. The purpose of this program evaluation was to assess if implementation and use of…

Insufficient sleep and sleepiness are common in adolescence and can negatively impact school performance. The current study examined sleep duration and sleepiness in academic performance and cognitive processes in early adolescence. Middle school students (N = 288; M[subscript age] = 12.01; 54% female; 48% Black, 37% White, 10% Hispanic) wore…

A problem exists for many rural and economically disadvantaged schools because teachers are not prepared to teach the students sitting in their classrooms. Each person has their own unique culture that helps them navigate the world around them, but what happens when the needs of the school do not meet the needs of the student? The use of…

Teachers in American public schools have been challenged with implementing effective instructional practices for students with disabilities (SWDs) in inclusive classrooms. Among the broad category of SWDs, students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBDs) are among those whose social and academic progress continues to be of concern. The…

The concept of a learner's identity in mathematics is complex and multifaceted. Based on a review of the relevant research, the authors believe most factors that influence one's mathematical identity fall within these four categories: (1) past mathematics experiences; (2) personal beliefs and efficacy; (3) future self-representation and belonging;…

Over the past decade, the arts' potential role in advancing mainstream transdisciplinary curriculum models, like STEM, has been more overtly recognized, both within arts and STEM communities. In this study, we explored STEAM curricula centered around data visualization, a transdisciplinary practice commonly utilized in design and STEM fields and…

In order to explore the effects of prosocial behavior, teacher's attitudes towards bullying, and classroom climate on peer victimization, we collected data from 1,221 students (M[subscript age] = 13.60, SD = 0.88) from 47 classrooms and their teachers from three middle schools in Beijing, China. The hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine…

Informed by multiple theoretical perspectives pertaining to academic procrastination, this investigation examined multilevel models aimed to predict homework procrastination using the data from 1,072 middle schoolers in China. Our model incorporated student gender, homework motivation, homework approach, homework behavior, and time allocated to…